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Homeless need compassion

Ventura
Published 5:08 p.m. PT April 25, 2018

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More than 200 area residents approach Ventura City Hall on Monday, where many planned to voice concerns about homelessness after a man was killed recently while having dinner at a popular beachside restaurant. The suspect, who is listed as homeless, faces murder charges.(Photo: ANTHONY PLASCENCIA/THE STAR)Buy Photo

It is my understanding that a fair amount of momentum has been building recently to address what has derogatorily been called the “vagrant problem” in Ventura.

I am a local primary care physician who cares for many homeless patients and who also worked in a homeless shelter for four years before medical school. The systematic and regular violence, injustices and abuse I see our homeless community members suffer is hard for me to describe. These individuals are suffering on levels that many of us cannot imagine, and we need to help them.

With this in mind, in response to last week's horrible killing, I want to strongly discourage any approach by our community that would criminalize or otherwise attempt to push out our homeless members. Research shows it is actually more effective to focus on affordable housing, mental health and rehabilitation services for these individuals than it is to jail or otherwise penalize them.

For a comprehensive analysis of the problem, along with evidence-based recommendations (including for cost-effectiveness), I highly recommend the 2014 report by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (nlchp.org/documents/No_Safe_Place).

The most valuable aspect of any community is how we treat the "least of these" in our midst. When terrible tragedies occur, I pray our response as a community is based in courage, principled reason and deep compassion, rather than fear, impulsiveness and retaliation.

Dr. Jake Donaldson, Ventura

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